Although ISIS was territorially defeated in 2019, its militants remain a nuisance to the Syria and Iraqi governments, and Western nations have stayed involved in efforts to combat them.

Over the weekend, French and British fighter jets bombed an underground weapons storage facility in Syria. 

The goal of the operation was to prevent the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) or other malicious groups from using the weapons.

About the Franco-British Syria Strike

On Saturday, Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets, supported by a Voyager air tanker, joined French Dassault Rafale fighter jets in a joint strike on the underground facility. 

The British fighter jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels leading down to the facility. The initial post-strike assessments indicate that the weapons storage facility was destroyed in the attack.  

“Careful intelligence analysis identified an underground facility, in the mountains some miles north of the ancient site of Palmyra. This facility had been occupied by Daesh, most likely to store weapons and explosives. The area around the facility is devoid of any civilian habitation,” the British Ministry of Defence stated in the aftermath of the strikes. 

Although ISIS lost its last occupied territory in 2019, deeply-planted terrorist cells continue to exist throughout the region, presenting a threat to regional stability. Despite the defeat of ISIS, NATO aircraft continue to operate in the region and monitor the potential resurgence of the terrorist group.

“This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East,” British Secretary of Defence John Healy stated. “I want to thank all the members of our Armed Forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their courage.” 

The Debate That Made the Difference  

The United Kingdom first authorized air strikes in Syria in 2015.  

At the time, ISIS forces were advancing in Iraq and Syria. The Kurdish Peshmerga requested the help of the United States and NATO to stop the terrorist onslaught. The UK had already deployed combat aircraft to bomb ISIS forces in Iraq. But before the UK agreed to extend air strikes beyond Iraq, the British parliament had to vote because such an extension would mean targeting another sovereign country—even though Syria at the time was in the midst of a chaotic civil war with multiple factions fighting one another.  

So, on December 2, 2015, British lawmakers met for a marathon debate that lasted well into the late-night hours. The Tory government under David Cameron supported the extension of airstrikes into Syria. The Labour opposition under Jeremy Corbyn did not. Throughout the day, British politicians from all sides argued for and against the extension. It was not clear which side would win.  

Then, in one of the final speeches of the debate, Labour shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn broke ranks, giving an impassioned speech in support of the airstrikes. Benn noted that ISIS did not respect the international border between Syria and Iraq and moved its forces across the two countries freely to perpetrate its barbarism. Indeed, he argued, the international border did not exist anymore, as ISIS had captured those territories. Thus, extending strikes into Syria would practically be the same as striking ISIS targets in Iraq.  

That argument prevailed, giving future UK governments legal authorization to continue attacking terrorist targets in Syria to this day.  

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.   

Image: Shutterstock / Dr.MYM.

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